


Unexpected Hate

by Wishful86



Series: Tales of the Unexpected [3]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Gen, M/M, More into the future, References to Homophobia, Support, chat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 16:18:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6712240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishful86/pseuds/Wishful86
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert had a meeting that turned unexpectedly bad. Bob is there to listen. </p><p>Yup, Rob and Bob together. Keeping it a bit different. Hope you enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Hate

Bob had wiped all the tables with only one left to do. Problem was, someone was still sitting at it and they looked like they had no intention of moving. He put his cloth over one shoulder and walked towards them. “You not got a home to go to?” he joked as he stopped by their side. 

Robert blinked “What?”

“We’re closing up.” Bob hinted, gesturing at the empty café around him.

“Oh right,” Robert looked around and then started to gather up the paperwork on his table, ”yeah, sorry.”

“No rush,” Bob told him before leaning against a chair, “Is something wrong?”

“What?” Robert’s eyes flicked to him, “No...why would there be?“

“It's just that you've been staring at that paperwork for about an hour,” Bob decided to point out.

“Yeah...so?”

“So, it didn’t really look like you were reading it.”

Robert stopped shuffling papers and scoffed, “Who are you? Sherlock?”

“I wish,” Bob replied as he slipped down into the chair next to Robert.

“What?”

“Well, you have to admit he's pretty good that Sherlock. It must be quite good to see things that others don’t. I don’t mean that in a Sixth Sense kind of a way, I mean...” Bob could tell Robert wasn’t impressed. “Shut up, Bob,” he said cutting himself off. 

Robert sighed and bowed his head. Bob waited. “I experienced my first proper case of homophobia today,” the younger man finally admitted. 

Bob frowned. “Ah”

“And it was just so unexpected,” Robert had raised his head again, “Right as everything was going well.”

Bob lent forward, “What happened?”

“We have these potential new clients, for the haulage firm,” Robert explained, sitting back in his chair and putting the papers in his hand back down, “Nicola was really excited about them and she set up a meeting for me. It went well. So well that they invited me to one of their company dinners. Me and a plus one.”

“Aaron,” Bob said immediately. 

“Aaron,” Robert nodded with a smile, “Of course, Aaron. He's my partner. It’s obvious.”

Bob narrowed his eyes and shifted slightly, “I sense this is where things went wrong?”

“Right again, Sherlock,” Robert snorted but there was no humour, ”One of them said ‘so you can bring your wife or girlfriend’ and I said ‘Actually, I’ll be bringing my boyfriend’ and...”

“And?” Bob prompted as Robert trailed off.

Robert sighed, “They laughed. Thought it was some kind of joke.”

“Idiots,” Bob spat out. 

“It felt like they were laughing at Aaron. At me and Aaron. At what we have. Like that's a joke,” Robert shook his head.

“What did you say?” Bob asked gently.

“Oh they weren’t finished first,” Robert told him with a flash in his eyes, “Once they'd stopped laughing, they managed to fling out some...some disgust.”

Bob sat back and shook his head, “Some people...”

“It hurt,” Robert confessed, eyes lowered again. 

“It will,” Bob stated. 

“But that's the thing,” Robert looked at Bob, “I've taken insults before. Plenty of them. I can normally let them go right over my head but this...”

“was different.” Bob finished for him, nodding. 

“Yeah. They weren’t just insulting me, were they?” Robert ran a hand down his face, “I hate that they laughed. Me and Aaron aren’t a joke.”

Bob reached out and put a hand on the younger man’s shoulder and squeezed. “Of course you’re not.”

Robert gave a half-smile. Then he bobbed his head before admitting, “It took me a while to get my head round the fact that I'd fallen for a man. I don’t know why. Other people being gay or bisexual didn’t bother me, I just...”

“It was confusing?” 

“And unknown. That sounds stupid.”

“Doesn’t at all,” Bob told him, giving his shoulder another squeeze before letting go. 

“Felt like something I should have accepted a long time ago. Not be figuring out at 30. Kept thinking, I must be wrong,” Robert realised his words, “Not that it's wrong, just that-’”

“I understand,” Bob nodded. 

“But it all fell into place,” Robert smiled, “I love Aaron. He is my plus one now. Didn’t even have to think about it when they said.” Then he let out a laugh, “I was thinking how I could convince Aaron to go though. He's not really into fancy restaurants and all that ‘potencious crap' as he puts it.”

“I'm guessing you haven’t told Aaron?” Bob asked. 

“About today?” Robert replied and Bob nodded, “No no, he doesn’t need it.”

“Robert, it's upset you,” Bob pointed out.

Robert shrugged, “And I'll get over it.”

“He’d want to know.”

“That homophobia exists. I think he's aware,” Robert stated flatly. 

“Which is why you should tell him,” Bob argued. 

Robert shook his head, “I've yet to tell Nicola that I walked out on the meeting today. Because that’s what I did. I told them they could go to hell and left.”

“Don’t blame you,” Bob clapped his shoulder this time.

“Not very professional,” Robert frowned. 

“Neither were they,” Bob reminded him, “Sounds like they weren’t nice people either.”

“Most people in business aren’t.”

Bob didn’t have an argument for that but he tried to make Robert see that he hadn’t done anything wrong, “You stood up for yourself. And for Aaron. And for a large portion of society if you think about it.”

“Oh I don’t regret it,” Robert told him firmly, “I regret not saying more but I just wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

“I think a lot of people are with you there,” Bob agreed, “Myself included. And that’s what you have to remember, most people are with you.”

“I know,” Robert nodded with a smile but that turned into a grimace, “It’s part of the reason why today stung so much though. A reminder that not everyone is accepting.”

Bob tilted his head and looked at the younger man intently, “I would tell Aaron.”

Robert rolled his eyes then scoffed, “He’ll know something’s up anyway.”

“Aaron’s another Sherlock, is he?” Bob joked.

“Something like that,” Robert laughed. He picked up the papers on the table again and stood up. 

Bob stood too. “I'm sorry today wasn't good,” he said, “But actually if you look on the plus side, you’ve got enough of it left to turn it around.”

“Yeah,” Robert smiled as he pushed his chair in, “thanks Bob.”

“Go and enjoy the evening with your boyfriend,” Bob suggested, taking the cloth off his shoulder and bringing it to the table. “After telling him,” He added, pointing his finger purposefully at Robert. 

Robert smiled, “See you later”

“See you.” 

.... 

“Americano, please Bob. Oh and er...thanks,” Aaron said as he rested an elbow on the cafe counter. 

“Thanks?” Bob raised his brow. 

“Yeah, Robert said you talked yesterday,” Aaron clarified. He held out his hand with money in it. 

Bob took the change, “He told you then?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” Bob said, opening the till. He frowned, “I don’t mean good about the...I mean good-”

“I get it,” Aaron nodded. 

“What’s this?” Brenda asked as she returned to behind the counter. 

Bob looked at Aaron who just shrugged. “Robert had a run in with homophobia,” Bob told her. 

“Oh, that's not nice,” Brenda’s cheery smile dropped, “You and Robert are lovely together.”

“Ok,” Aaron narrowed his eyes. 

“Two handsome young men in love...” Brenda sighed dreamily. 

“I'm gonna sit down,” Aaron told Bob flatly while side-eying Brenda. 

“I’ll bring it over,” Bob nodded apologetically at the young man and then turned to Brenda.

“What?” She flinched at the attention, “What did I do?”

“Whatever the opposite of homophobia is- I think Aaron just had a run in with that,” Bob stated before sighing and walking into the back. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Brenda called after him. She didn’t have time to get an answer though as another customer stepped up, “Hiya love, what can I get you?”

...


End file.
